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Front Desk Diaries: Deposit Drama and the Welfare Guest

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  • Front Desk Diaries: Deposit Drama and the Welfare Guest

    Smooth Sunday Morning shift, just a few hiccups.

    Ever since our property implemented the pre authorisation policy, it's been a bit hit and miss in terms of effectiveness and guest response. We have to do this even for one night stays, so I can understand the frustration. Most credit cards we do the pre-authorisation on only release the money after 5 or 7 business days, so that adds to the frustration. Doing cash deposits is easier coz we can return it on the checkout date.

    Anyway, most guests were pretty mellow with it, but one guy checking out today did vent his frustrations and say he wouldn't come back. He understood I was just doing my job, but he did call out the policy for being pedantic. Eh, I'm used to it. Also, people carry very little cash these days.

    Next is the troubles of this one particular guest booked in by the welfare centre. It was a family of five (two parents, three very young kids), and we received the paperwork regarding room charges and food allowances. She was allotted two boxed breakfasts and up to $80 at the restaurant. Anything extra, she needs to pay herself.

    The first problem was about half an hour after they checked in. They came up to the front asking for some extra blankets (no problem) and a room service breakfast form. I had to explain to her that the voucher we received was only valid for two boxed breakfasts like the ones I had already given her. She wanted to charge the room service back to the agency because she thought EVERYTHING would be sent back. After five minutes of back and forth, including me telling her the headache it would cause if I ignored the instructions, she gave in and forked over the money for the meals.

    She made me print out an invoice for her so she could be reimbursed for it, but I doubt that's gonna happen.

    Then came the time we sent the meal up. There weren't any problems taking it up, but when they checked out the mother said the breakfast was horrible. I knew something was up, so when I went up to inspect the room for damages (which the agency would cover for) I checked the breakfast trays.

    They barely even touched them.

    For real, everything on one plate was literally untouched. On the other, they just dug out the yolks form the poached eggs and wrapped one of the four sausages around one of the two slices of toast. Even the bottled juices were unopened. But other than that, the baked beans, bacon and egg yolks were undisturbed. It was the same last night as well when I took the trays back to the restaurant; the fish fillets were literally half eaten.

    The breakfast boxes weren't even finished as well. The cereals in both were open, but when I found them they were still sitting in milk. The preserved fruit wasn't open, or the biscuits.

    Well, I charged the breakfast boxes and dinner back to the agency, but that lady's gonna be in for a headache when she tries to get the money back for the 'horrible' breakfast she didn't even eat. I wouldn't be surprised if the welfare agency contacted us about this. The joke's on them coz I've written a report and we have photographic evidence the food hasn't been touched at all.

  • #2
    Hate to say it, but what's worse? Someone who says that meal sucked but did everything but lick the plate or had 2 bites and stopped?

    I'm more inclined to think it sucked.
    AkaiKitsune
    Sarcasm dear, sarcasm. I’m well aware that dealing with civilians in any capacity will skin your faith in humanity alive, then pickle anything that remains so as to watch it shrivel up into an immortal husk thus reminding you of how dead inside you now are.

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    • #3
      Quoth Rosco the Iroc View Post
      Hate to say it, but what's worse? Someone who says that meal sucked but did everything but lick the plate or had 2 bites and stopped?

      I'm more inclined to think it sucked.
      I dont know. If the meal had been more messed up but not eaten I would be more inclined to believe them that it was bad. It sounds like they didnt even really try it.

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      • #4
        Surely if it was that bad,you'd complain and get a replacement-especially if you had a legitimate gripe-we only had a couple of bites,the rest was inedible because [burnt,undercooked,mouldy,possessed by demons]...
        The Copyright Monster has made me tell you that my avatar is courtesy of the wonderful Alice XZ.And you don't want to annoy the Copyright Monster.

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        • #5
          Quoth Kit-Ginevra View Post
          Surely if it was that bad,you'd complain and get a replacement-especially if you had a legitimate gripe-we only had a couple of bites,the rest was inedible because [burnt,undercooked,mouldy,possessed by demons]...
          Exactly. Sounds more to me like they were just sulking because they couldn't get what they wanted.
          Customer service: More efficient than a Dementor's kiss
          ~ Mr Hero

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          • #6
            I wonder if breakfast is usually pop-tarts and doughnuts, and they'd never had breakfast food?

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            • #7
              That's a terrible waste of food. If I had no money and was homeless (if that's what's happening, not 100% sure) with two kids, no food would be wasted. If for some reason it was so terrible that we couldn't eat it, I'd call down and explain what was wrong. I wouldn't just not eat anything and then later say the food was bad. Plus, she's likely going to have to pay out of pocket for this, if I understand correctly? People's decisions are quite baffling sometimes.
              Replace anger management with stupidity management.

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              • #8
                Quoth Pixelated View Post
                Exactly. Sounds more to me like they were just sulking because they couldn't get what they wanted.
                Reminds me of customers trying to use their WIC cards to get Honey Nut and/or Frosted Cheerios, and getting upset that they can only use them for regular Cheerios.

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                • #9
                  While thee is an outside chhhance that the meals sucked, I think we all can see the writing on the wall: this woman obviously thought/felt that this should have been an all expenses paid stay, and upon being told otherwise, is trying to lay the groundwork for a complaint. Textbook SC.
                  "We guard the souls in heaven; we don't horse-trade them!" Samandrial in Supernatural

                  RIP Plaidman.

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                  • #10
                    Quoth Kit-Ginevra View Post
                    Surely if it was that bad,you'd complain and get a replacement-especially if you had a legitimate gripe-we only had a couple of bites,the rest was inedible because [burnt,undercooked,mouldy,possessed by demons]...
                    In Soviet Russia, pea soup vomits you?

                    But yeah, something's wrong here. Bluntly, when I was growing up, we weren't all that poor (Mom was a divorced teacher with 3 kids), but money was tight enough that we kids did regularly hear "sorry, this is the dinner we have tonight." If we had really kicked back, PBJs or such would probably have been a backup option, but I don't remember us ever doing that. We certainly ate our share of slightly-burnt casseroles or other dubiously-successful productions.

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                    • #11
                      Quoth workerbee222 View Post
                      I wonder if breakfast is usually pop-tarts and doughnuts, and they'd never had breakfast food?
                      A distinct possibility.
                      I'm trying to see things from your point of view, but I can't get my head that far up my keister!

                      Who is John Galt?
                      -Ayn Rand, Atlas Shrugged

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